Korean Crisis
Operation Pacific Horizon refers to the period of the Korean War following the renewal of hostilities in 2017. The conflict originally began near the outbreak of the First Cold War, and fighting ended on 27 July 1953, when an armistice was signed. The agreement created the Korean Demilitarized Zone to separate North and South Korea, however, no peace treaty was been signed, and the two Koreas remained in a frozen conflict for half a century with periodic clashes. Fighting broke out in earnest once again after the failed North Korean strike in October 2017, marking the beginning of the new phase of the conflict. In November 2020, the remnants of the Korean military had seen their supplies largely depleted. These events led North Korean military factions to enter negotiations with the U.S., with China acting as a mediator. North Korea's remaining factions surrendered after the signing of the Manila Accords, just minutes after the new American president, Cory Booker, was sworn into office. Background and South Korea until 2022.]] , literal and historic symbol of the animosity between North and South Korea.]] 'Nuclear proliferation' On August 8, 2017, US intelligence services reported that North Korea had successfully produced a miniaturized nuclear weapon capable of being mounted on an missile that could reach the continental United States. The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) estimated that North Korea would have a working nuclear weapon system, including an ICBM, miniaturized warhead, and working guidance system by 2018. The logic among contemporary American foreign policy analysts went that if North Korea posed a credible nuclear threat, it could destabilize the North Pacific by forcing Japan or South Korea to develop their own deterrent which would lead to wider hostilities with China, potentially threatening global trade. Despite ongoing negotiations, North Korea continued to develop its nuclear capabilities, detonating a 120 kT Hydrogen bomb on September 3; despite Chinese and American red line threats. 'North Korean missile tests' For much of the 2010s, North Korea's missile program had failed to produce a working weapon. However in spring of 2017 a series of new missile tests resulted in the development of a deliverable nuclear weapon that could strike US allies and assets in the Pacific and potentially the US mainland. By the end of May, North Korea had successfully tested advanced Medium and Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (MRBMs/IRBMs) and was openly defying China who had made several overtures to bring the DPRK to the negotiating table. The turning point came on July 4th, 2017 when North Korea succesfully tested its first Intercontinental-Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range reaching the American mainland. Run-up to the war 'Diplomatic means' One of the US' main concerns was the significant threat North Korea posed to its forces in the Pacific. The successful test of medium range ballistic missiles placed Naval and Air bases in the region under considerable threat, potentially giving the People's Republic of China a clear path to control the South China Sea through an alliance with North Korea and the Philippines. Control of the South China Sea would position China to control Indian Ocean trade with the Pacific, and make North Korea a credible threat to American power in the region. China at the time, was not willing to risk a major war with the US to support the North Koreans and secure a position of power in the South Pacific. Diplomatic efforts, primarily those led by China, broke down after North Korea successfully tested its first ICBM, the Hwasong-14, on July 4th, 2017. After an unsuccessful effort to unify the international community in condemnation of the test in an emergency summit of the UN, the United States and South Korea began to more overtly broadcast their intent to attack. The United States also began to insert CIA operatives into North Korea to uncover the extent of North Korea's nuclear instillations. Back door negotiations continued well into September. 'Military means' Acting on the Bush Doctrine's policy, and out of fear the North Koreans could launch an attack against Anderson Air Force Base in Guam, US President Donald J. Trump quickly ordered the US military to deploy carrier groups and air forces to the region to force North Korea to stand down. Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un continued to escalate the situation through air defense drills and threats of nuclear retaliation should the US, South Korea, or China attack. The US Navy dispatched three naval battle groups built around the aircraft carriers USS Carl Vinson, USS Ronald Reagan, and the USS Nimitz to the Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, where they were ready by 31 May. The US also sent the ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska and USS Louisiana to the region, and had the Aircraft Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on standby in San Diego. More than 100 US Air Force F-16s immediately commenced round the clock air drills over South Korea to discourage further North Korean missile activities. They were joined by F-35 stealth fighters. On May 31, civil defense briefings began at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam in preparation for a North Korean attack. Naval battle groups would rotate in and out of Korean waters for the next four months before hostilities officially began. Outbreak 'Air Campaign' Upon President Trump's return from an overseas trip, the United States made one final ultimatum to North Korea, demanding that they cease all missile tests and nuclear enrichment efforts, and negotiated in good faith to end their nuclear program. On August 8th 2017, the Washington Post reported that North Korea had successfully created a miniaturized nuclear warhead capable of fitting inside a missile according to sources within the Defense Intelligence Agency. In light of these revelations, President Trump made the following statement: “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with the fire and the fury like the world has never seen. He has been very threatening beyond a normal state, and as I said they will be met with the fire and fury and frankly power, the likes of which this world has never seen before...” Several hours later, other news sources began to report that North Korean forces had begun to arm their patrol ships with anti-ship munitions and were considering plans to conduct a preemptive missile strike on Guam. On August 28, the North Korean government carried out one of its most provocative missile tests by launching a ballistic missile directly over Japan. The missile flew over the northern island of Hokkaido and landed harmlessly in the sea, after a flight of nearly 1,700 miles. Although the test was denounced by the United States, Japan and South Korea it was not until September 3rd 2017, when North Korea conducted a sixth nuclear test; the first in over a decade, at the country's Punggye-ri nuclear test site did the situation escalate into a full-blown nuclear crisis. Later in the month, the U.S. tried one last diplomatic approach by trying to persuade the United Nations to cut off all shipments of oil to the country, reminiscent of similar efforts to curtail Japan leading up to Pearl Harbor over 75 years prior, but was only able to pass a motion that halved the country's oil supply. This was followed in late September with additional sanctions by the U.S., but not without President Trump affirming to the UN that any attack on U.S. territory or allies would see the swiftest retaliation. In early December, the North Korean People's Army launched four Hwasong-12 ICBM missiles at Guam. The missiles, however, fell just short of hitting the island. Nevertheless, this was seen as an act of war by the U.S. Immediately after the failed missile strike, President Trump ordered Defense Secretary Mattis to commence the attack, beginning with preemptive nuclear strikes against North Korea's nuclear launch sites. Long Range Standoff cruise missiles carrying W80 nuclear warheads were deployed with a yield of 8 kT, completely destroying North Korea's nuclear capability. While smaller than the bombs used at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the impact of using nuclear weapons for a second time in history was not lost on the public. President Trump's decision to use the bombs were hotly criticized in the press. Despite this, Trump received a small uptick in popularity at the outbreak of the war, with his approval ratings breaking through the 45% mark for the first time since taking office. While the nuclear attack was underway, B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit stealth bombers from Guam were deployed to strike North Korean artillery positions with support from F-35 fighters. Simultaneously EA-18G Growlers were deployed from the Vinson and the Reagan to disable North Korean air defenses and communications. The President called South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and the other nuclear powers 5 minutes before the strike took place informing them of the US attack. South Korea, Russia, and China had been aware of the possibility for many weeks from open discussions with the US, however Britain, India, Pakistan, France, and Israel were hearing about the attack for the first time. The US strikes achieved a total destruction of North Korea's nuclear capabilities without any retaliatory launches, and the bulk of artillery positions along the border were destroyed as well. Additionally, EA-18G Growler flights cut off all communications between DPRK command and field commanders, slowing their response, but not the effectiveness of it as the DPRK Army had vested command authority into its field commanders in the event of a communications blackout. Several artillery positions were able to begin shelling Seoul, Incheon, and Yeoncheon before US and South Korean aircraft were able to destroy them. While the first strike was specifically designed to minimize the loss of life, some 35,000 people were killed in the opening hours of the war on both sides, the bulk of which were civilians in Seoul or North Korean military personnel. 'Ground campaign' South Korean land forces made up the brunt of the ground forces in the early days of the war, with fighting concentrated along the DMZ and largely against the few gurellia units that were able to infiltrate the South. While the US, Japan, and South Korea conducted joint bombing campaigns against military targets in the North, plans for the invasion of North Korea were already being put into motion, with China agreeing to a minor invasion to secure refugees fleeing the North. On December 23, US and Japanese amphibious forces invaded North Korea from the West while the South Korean Army invaded north through openings in the DMZ cleared during the bombing campaign. US and Japanese forces made up for less than a third of the total ground forces, but were able to secure Pyongyang by December 29, 2017 after a grueling month of fighting with conventional North Korean forces and civilian partisans. Similar resistance was felt by the South Koreans as they pushed North, but resistance began to fall apart by the January 2018 as supplies from China had been exhausted and infrastructure destroyed, leaving North Koreans to starve as the DPRK military units took to raiding farms to continue the war-effort. While the initial invasion on the western coast was largely a success, the mountainous regions, like the Kaema plateau, that defined the peninsula limited combat to helicopters and infantry, removing the coalition's advantage with armor and air power. The most successful units of the coalition were those who had only recently returned from Afghanistan and were used to fighting in mountainous terrain. Progress had stalled by the summer of 2018 as coalition forces were left to hold territory on the west coast and organize humanitarian aid, while South Korean forces were left to the laborious task of clearing mountainous villages of North Korean forces in hiding. Public support for the war had largely evaporated in the US by the 2018 midterms, and by the winter of 2019 the US Congress was unwilling to provide additional support for increasing the war effort. China and the US both agreed to hand off occupation duties to the South Korean military after removing and disabling DPRK nuclear stockpiles and facilities. The US and China also agreed to a reduction in forces on and near the peninsula. China would maintain border patrol stations for 5 years, and the US would begin a phased reduction of its troops in the South over 10 years. Post invasion phase 'Beginning of insurgency' By the February 2018, the North Korean military began to see mass defections, and reports of cannibalism among the peasants lead to infighting among military leaders in Pyongyang. On 12 February, 2018, Kim Jong-un was assassinated by his own guards while in hiding. General Pak Yong-sik promptly declared Marshal Law and ordered the assassins executed, but rival generals and admirals began making their own declarations as Supreme Leader, leading to more infighting. With the civilian leadership gone and the military fractured, the US was unable to carry out negotiations for an end to the conflict. Casualties 'Civilian' 'North Korean' 'Coalition' Controversies 'Radioactive fallout' The nuclear weapons used in the war to destroy North Korean launch facilities were W80 warheads on board modified Tomahawk missiles, set to a yield of 10 kT each. Significant study regarding the long term safety of nuclear weapons prior to the outbreak of the war acknowledged although detractors claim pyrophoric, genotoxic, and teratogenic heavy metal effects. Many cited the bombs' use during the war as a contributing factor to a number of instances of health issues in the conflict's veterans and surrounding civilian populations. 'Korean Famine' Many crops, which were nearby North Korean nuclear facilities, had been contaminated as radionuclides were retained on the surface of growing crops immediately after fallout, causing famines in many parts of the country. As the war dragged on, most North Korean agriculture that was unaffected by radioactive contamination were slowly destroyed during the conflict between guerilla fighters and allied troops as many had used farms for remote bases or areas of engagements, major and minor. Surplus food and supplies from South Korea and Japan were transported to occupied population centers to help lessen the affects of the famine. Impact The artillery barrage on Seoul led to widespread panic throughout the city as millions of South Koreans tried to flee the capitol, leading to widespread looting and panic. In addition, North Korean forces were able to deploy several thousand guerrilla fighters into South Korea via the "Tunnels of Aggression" before coalition air strikes destroyed them. The chaos following the initial attack in the South sent Asian markets into a tailspin, leading to China deploying 50,000 troops to the North Korean border in a show of force that helped rally global markets. 'Economic' The war's outbreak caused a market crash in Korea that spread world-wide after the Port of Incheon was closed following North Korean shelling. Consumer spending saw an uptick prior to the outbreak of the war and just afterwards as civilians worldwide gathered provisions for fearing a wider war. Global markets rallied, however the panic from the crash combined with the use of nuclear weapons seriously damaged consumer confidence. Private capital investment contracted and the global economy fell into a recession by early 2018. Political The decision to use nuclear weapons against North Korea saw immediate backlash from left-wing groups in the US and Europe. However, conservative and moderate voters largely supported the action, leading to President Donald Trump experiencing a spike in popularity, with approval rating climbing above 45% for the first time in his term. However, this popularity would again falter as the North Korean insurgency set in, fueling anti-war sentiment in 2018. President Trump's response to criticism, the worsening recession, and public ambivalence towards the war resulted in the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives in 2018. The Democratic Party adopted a firm anti-nuclear weapons platform that struck a chord with voters who saw the use of a nuclear first strike as excessive. The global reaction to the United States' nuclear strike against North Korea continued to damage American credibility abroad. Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, addressing national concerns over drifting fallout, stated that, although he supported the attack on North Korea, he opposed the use of nuclear weapons. In his speech, he declared that America had become "an aggressive menace, as great a danger to its allies as to its enemies." Many historians mark this as the beginning of increased anti-American sentiment in Japan, which would increase in the years leading up to World War III. Japan would nonetheless take a leading role in the Korean War, shaping its position as a regional power in the decades to come. Coalition forces liberated the six known labor camps and discovered dozens of unreported mines and factories using slave labor, finally showing the true extent of the malevolence of the North Korean regime. The audacity led to an outcry of international support and charitable donations. 'Reunification' The Korean reunification was the process that began in 2022 in which the territory of the former Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) joined the Republic of Korea (South Korea) to form the reunited nation of Korea. The end of the unification process is officially referred to as Korean Unity Day, celebrated on 11 February, 2022 and commemorated yearly from there on out. Following Korean reunification, Seoul was once again designated as the capital of united Korea. The actual process of reunifying, however, would ultimately take decades, only really ending with the outbreak of the Third World War. The united Korea is considered to be the enlarged continuation of the South's republic and not a successor state, just like the reunited Germany back in 1990 was considered the enlarged continuation of West Germany's federal republic. As such, it retained all of South Korea's memberships in international organizations including the Trans-Pacific Partnership, while automatically relinquishing membership in international organizations to which only North Korea belonged. 'Early attempts at unification' After the Reunification treaty, Koreans on both sides began attempting to cross the border to reunite long separated families. Free travel was still somewhat restricted while EOD teams began the laborious process of clearing the DMZ of hundreds of thousands of landmines. UN and South Korean humanitarian aide stations established a program to allow families from the North to join those in the South, shifting the care taking responsibility onto the populous. These first months of reunification were defined by images of families separated by decades reuniting, humanitarian efforts to feed a nation of 15 million starving people, and an occupation that was largely reduced to disarming the former North Korean military. The US and China continued to provide naval and aerial reconnaissance support for the Koreans until 2022, when Reunification was officially put into effect. The 2022 Reunification declaration was based on disarmament guidelines, the creation of a unified Korean command structure, and the return of free travel between North and South. Within days of Reunification and the restoration, a mass exodus of those in the North began streaming into the South, and Southern businesses began moving North to capitalize on new markets and territory. Southern Agribusiness began setting up new farmland and manufacturing centers, while South Korean startups began moving to Pyongyang to take advantage of the 5 year tax break for Korean companies that invested in the North. For the former communist dictatorship's residents, this infusion of capital was a welcome relief. Unfortunately, many who had fled to the South after the free travel returned, began looking for handouts and placed a massive burden on the Korean welfare system. Problems also emerged in the North as former DPRK military and police forces who still expected to be treated like kings among their own people were caught demanding bribes and favors from the new businesses. Few police and military forces would join the retraining program set up by the government in Seoul, and many simply retired and used their decades of military training to organize a take-over of the Korean Mafia. Organized crime in the North began to deter businesses from relocating there, and foreign businesses began threatening to withdraw interest in the region. South Korea's government expanded its massive social welfare and public works program to improve the quality of life in the North, discourage organized crime, and address the problem of homelessness in the South from former DPRK citizens. By 2030, South Korea's development program for the North was costing the country so much that they were forced to privatize a number of public services to reduce the strain on the treasury. Private healthcare and retirement services were introduced while funding was cut for public health and pension programs. Despite these early efforts, the South's economy continued to decline under the weight of the North's economic and criminal problems. 'Runup to World War III' As Japan began to impose a more tangible threat to the Korean peninsula, the US began offering military and financial assistance to Korea. This buildup of the military provided much needed economic relief, but also united the country in a way that previous attempts never had been able to. The Korean government reopened North Korean military facilities and factories, driving southern experts north to manage the creation of a wartime economy, and brought the country together with a propaganda campaign designed by Hwang Sye-kyun, a former North Korean propaganda artist. Japan's invasion and subsequent occupation galvanized this effort, and unified Koreans against a common enemy like they had not seen in a century. After the war, the US-funded reconstruction effort led to a post-war economic boom, made stronger by a more integrated nation. The northern half of the country remains much more rural than the southern half, and while Pyongyang has grown to be a major metropolitan hub, Seoul remains the political and economic core of the country. Postwar Korea benefited from its proximity to China and Pacific Russia and a relationship with America that kept it a major trade hub. Today, Korea has suffered much like the rest of the world due to automation, but it has an aging population that helped build a stronger social safety net that made things tolerable. The nation is, in fact, similar to early 21st Century Finland in regards to its quality of life and its role in the global economy. Category:Countries in Asia Category:21st-century conflicts